Method and apparatus for manufacturing brushes, in particular toothbrushes

ABSTRACT

In order to manufacture brushes, in particular toothbrushes, bundles ( 3 ) of bristles, enclosed at first by a covering ( 2 ) or the like, are first cut open in a bristle magazine ( 4 ), so that the covering ( 2 ) can be removed. The covering is cut through at two points that are spaced apart from one another, in particular situated opposite one another, and the resulting two parts ( 2   a  and  2   b ) of the covering ( 2 ) are removed from the bristle magazine towards two opposite sides thereof.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing brushes, in particular toothbrushes, in which, first, bundles of bristles enclosed by a covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, are supplied to a bristle magazine having a stock of bristles, then the covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like is removed, and subsequently the bristles are transported in particular to a bristle apportioning disk from which they are carried for further processing.

[0002] A comparable method is known from DE 26 32 328 C2. Here, a number of possibilities are provided for cutting open the covering at various points, using a single blade. The covering, cut open on one side, is then pulled away from the stock of bristles, without carrying along or damaging bristles.

[0003] Above all, very short bristles of less than 30 millimeters length, for example on the order of 20 millimeters length, or even ten millimeters length or less, together with an operating speed that is as high as possible, do not permit the application of the previously known apparatus and the method to be used therewith.

SUMMARY

[0004] The object therefore arises of creating a method of the type indicated above, as well as an apparatus, with which high operating speeds are possible even in the processing of short bristles.

[0005] In order to meet this object, the above-noted method is improved by the covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like being cut through in the bristle magazine at two points spaced apart from one another, and the resulting two parts of this covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like are removed or drawn away towards the two sides of the bristle magazine.

[0006] The separation of the covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like—hereinafter designated “covering”—into two separate parts, and the removal thereof towards two different sides of the bristle magazine, permits a high operating speed without damaging or entraining bristles, even if these bristles have only a small length of less than 30 millimeters, or even ten millimeters or less. Trials have shown that a high operating speed is consequently possible. Here it is also advantageous that the cutting open of the covering takes place inside the bristle magazine, so that the bristles are already being advanced for further processing, and remain in this advance.

[0007] Here it is particularly advantageous if the bundles of bristles, with their covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, are conveyed and pressed against a blade situated approximately centrally between the lateral boundaries of the bristle magazine, and in this way the covering is cut through at sides situated opposite one another in the direction of conveying, and the two parts of the covering or the like are removed or withdrawn laterally from the magazine behind the cutting point in the direction of conveying inside the bristle magazine. In this way, the conveying of the bundles of bristles with their covering, and of the “uncovered” bristles, can be exploited in order to divide the covering into two parts at a blade located inside the magazine, which two parts can be removed from the magazine towards the two sides of the magazine, so that the bristles remain in the magazine without being damaged.

[0008] A modified method can be that the covering or the like of the respective bundle of bristles is cut through by blades or similar cutting devices that can be pushed together obliquely from the sides from the lateral boundaries, with their respective cutting edges facing one another. In this way as well, the covering can be divided into two parts that can be removed from the magazine towards both sides, this removal towards both sides meaning that each of the parts of the covering resulting from the cutting is removed towards a respective opposite side.

[0009] Here it is advantageous if the bristles of the bundles of bristles, and the surface contours of their covering or the like, are situated in approximately vertical fashion in the magazine during their advance, and are advanced essentially in a horizontal direction, transverse to the bristles. In this way, relatively short bristles can also be held stable and advanced inside the magazine, which is provided with lateral boundaries that can withstand the stress during the cutting through of the covering.

[0010] In the method described above, it is advantageous that the bundles of bristles have at first a circular cross-section as a result of their covering, thus leaving hollow spaces between them inside the elongated magazine. During the cutting through of the covering, the stock of bristles situated in the bundle of bristles can thus first undergo a loosening, so that the cut-open parts of the covering can be removed without problem before the bristles, now freed, are pushed together to the desired density inside the magazine by the progress of the advance.

[0011] In order to solve the stated problem, the invention also provides an apparatus for manufacturing brushes, in particular toothbrushes, having a device for supplying bundles of bristles, enclosed at first by a covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, to a horizontally disposed bristle magazine, inside which the bristles, oriented generally vertically, can be supplied and transported in a direction transverse to themselves in the direction of advance for their processing. The apparatus has a cutting device for cutting open the covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, and a device for grasping and removing the cut-open covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like.

[0012] In this apparatus according to the present invention, the cutting device is situated inside the bristle magazine, spaced before a takeoff device or bristle apportioning disk in the direction of advance of the bristles, and is designed to cut twice through the covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, and the device, situated in the area of this cutting device, for grasping and transporting away the covering that has been cut into two parts has at least one grasping or seizing instrument at each of the sides of the two lateral boundaries of the bristle magazine. The lateral boundaries of the bristle magazine have an opening in the area of the respective grasping or seizing instruments, and the respective grasping or seizing instrument can be pushed through, and pulled back through, the opening of the respective boundaries in order to grasp and withdraw one of the two parts of the cut-open covering or the like.

[0013] The apparatus according to the present invention thus provides, inside the bristle magazine, a cutting device with which the covering can be cut through at two points, so that inside the bristle magazine the covering is divided into two parts that can be removed through the lateral boundaries or side walls towards the sides. In this way, the bristles themselves remain undamaged and are held inside the bristle magazine by the lateral boundaries, so that this removal of the coverings or the like, and the advance of the bristles, can take place with a high operating speed.

[0014] The height of the lateral boundaries of the bristle magazine can be essentially equal to the length of the bristles it receives, and can be for example 30 millimeters to ten millimeters or less, according to the length of the bristles to be processed. Thus, even bristles having a short length can advantageously be processed at a high operating speed.

[0015] The openings provided in the lateral boundaries or sidewalls of the bristle magazine for the grasping and seizing instruments are advantageously formed as perforations, closed on all sides, and their vertical dimension can be less than the height of the lateral walls and less than the length of the bristles. Thus, the cut covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like can be withdrawn laterally through such an opening without carrying the bristles along, because these bristles are supported on the lateral boundaries above and below the opening during their advance. Despite the possibility of removing the cut covering, the lateral limiting and supporting of the bristles themselves by the bristle magazine is maintained.

[0016] It is advantageous if the openings in the lateral boundaries—preferably formed as side walls—of the bristle magazine are situated at approximately half the height of these boundary walls. In this way, the bristles are supported in a largely uniform fashion even in the area of these openings, and are supported over a sufficiently large part of their length, and are prevented from exiting through such an opening.

[0017] The respective grasping and seizing instrument can be pneumatically or hydraulically moved through the opening and pulled back through the opening after grasping the part of the covering or the like to be removed. This enables a correspondingly high operating speed of the grasping and seizing instrument.

[0018] The grasping or seizing instrument can be a barbed tip and/or a pincer-type gripper and/or a suction device operated with a vacuum. This can be made dependent, in particular, on the type of covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like that is to be removed by this grasping instrument after dividing it into two parts.

[0019] The bristles can be moved in the direction of advance inside the bristle magazine by a slide that can in particular be actuated pneumatically or hydraulically, and the slide can be loaded with bundles enclosed by a covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like, and can push such bundles in the direction of the cutting device. In this way, both the still-covered bundles and the bristles freed from the covering are moved in the direction of advance by one and the same slide, which permits a simple construction arrangement, and above all a high operating speed.

[0020] The bundles of bristles can be supplied to the bristle magazine horizontally from the side or vertically from above in the area of the slide. In this way, the slide, which is drawn back into the initial position after a certain advancing motion, acquires in this drawn-back position a subsequent bundle of bristles that is supplied to the bristle magazine, and continues the advance.

[0021] It is particularly advantageous if the width of the bristle magazine corresponds approximately to the diameter of the covered or packaged bundles of bristles, and if hollow spaces that are approximately triangular in shape remain open before the area of the cutting device, between the still-covered or still-packaged bundles of bristles, which are essentially circular in cross-section, and the boundary walls. In this way, despite the pressure of the slide in the direction of advance, after the cutting open of a covering or the like there first results a certain relaxing and loosening in the area of the bristles thereby freed, facilitating the removal of the parts of the covering, because in this moment grasping or seizing instruments have sufficient space to reach into the bristle magazine without squeezing the bristles too much, or possibly damaging them.

[0022] Furthermore, this permits a construction of the apparatus, such that the cutting device has two movable blades that are oriented obliquely against one another, situated on or in the lateral boundaries, and that move into triangular hollow spaces between the covered or packaged bundles of bristles during the cutting process. These blades, which act diagonally on the respective bundle of bristles, are thereby displaced somewhat in the direction of advance, due to their oblique orientation and their movement in the direction of advance, and cut through the respective covering at opposite sides, located closer to the lateral boundary walls than to the center of such a bundle of bristles. Nonetheless, it is achieved that the covering or the like is divided into two parts that can be removed laterally through the limits, this being facilitated by the fact that the cutting of the covering immediately achieves a brief relaxing of the pressure between the bristles, while these fill the triangular hollow spaces.

[0023] A different, simplified solution is provided in that, as a cutting device, a blade is provided that is situated approximately centrally, and in particular in a stationary fashion, between the lateral boundaries of the bristle magazine, its cutting edge being directed against the direction of advance of the bundles of bristles. The covering of these bundles is then pressed against this cutting edge, and as a result this covering is cut through, first at one side of the bundle of bristles and then, during the further advancement, at the opposite side, and is divided into two parts.

[0024] Above all, the combination of one or more of the features and measures described above, provides a method as well as an apparatus, for manufacturing brushes, by removing the covering or the like of the bundles of bristles that are processed thereby, which operates in a simple fashion and at high speed, and simultaneously presents a constructively simple solution for the conveying of the bristles for their processing, in particular for feeding to a bristle apportioning disk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION ON THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail on the basis of the drawing. The following are shown, partly in schematic representation:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a top view of an apparatus according to the present invention for supplying bundles of bristles and for cutting through the covering or packaging thereof inside the bristle magazine, the bundles of bristles being supplyable to the bristle magazine from the side, in the horizontal direction, transverse to the orientation of the bristles, and the lateral boundaries or side walls of the bristle magazine having a spacing from one another that corresponds approximately to the diameter of the bundles of bristles, and having openings downstream from the cutting device, for generally sideways removal of the cut-through covering, and

[0027]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lateral boundaries or side walls, of the bristle magazine that extend in the horizontal direction and include openings for the grasping and seizing elements for the lateral removal of the cut-open coverings, the bundles of bristles being indicated as supplyable to the bristle magazine from above, upstream of the cutting device in the direction of advance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Two preferred embodiments of the apparatus are described below and generally designated as a whole as 1 differ only with respect to the supplying of the bundles 3 of bristles—enclosed at first by a covering, packaging, tying cord, or the like (hereinafter referred to as the covering 2 for short) to a bristle magazine 4 that contains a stock of bristles. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the bundles 3 of bristles are supplied to the bristle magazine 4 from the side at a gap 5, while in the embodiment according to FIG. 2 the bundles are supplied to the magazine at the same point from above, with the aid of a generally vertical guide tube 6.

[0029] Otherwise, both embodiments of the apparatus 1 agree with one another, in particular with respect to the design for the removal of coverings 3. The following description of apparatus 1 therefore relates to both preferred embodiments.

[0030] The apparatus 1 is used to manufacture brushes, in particular toothbrushes, and has the already-mentioned, somewhat differently constructed devices for supplying bundles 3 of bristles, that are initially enclosed by a covering 2 or the like, to a horizontally situated bristle magazine 4, inside which the generally vertically oriented bristles 7 can be transported in a direction transverse to their orientation in the direction of advance, and, in the preferred embodiments, can be supplied to a bristle apportioning disk 8, whereby they are supplied to further processing stages. Here, the apparatus 1 also has a cutting device, described in more detail below, for cutting open the covering 2, and a device, also explained below, for grasping and removing the cut-open covering 2, so that the regions of bristle magazine 4 that are situated close to bristle apportioning disk 8 then contain only bristles, and no longer contain a covering 2.

[0031] Here, the already-mentioned cutting device is situated inside bristle magazine 4 spaced before a takeoff device in the direction of advance of bristles 7. In the preferred embodiment, it is situated before bristle apportioning disk 8, and, according to FIG. 1, is designed to cut twice through covering 2. The device situated in the area of this cutting device for grasping and transporting away the covering 2 cut into two parts 2 a and 2 b has, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, a grasping or seizing instrument 10 on both sides of the two lateral boundaries 9 of bristle magazine 4, which according to FIG. 2 are formed as side walls. Here, these lateral boundaries 9 of bristle magazine 4 have an opening 11 in the area of the respective grasping or seizing instrument 10, through which the respective grasping or seizing instrument 10 can be pushed forward and pulled back for the grasping and withdrawing of one of the two parts 2 a or 2 b of cut-open covering 2 or the like. FIG. 1 shows the process of withdrawal towards both sides, through the boundaries 9, of the two parts 2 a and 2 b of the twice-cut covering 2 of a bundle 3 of bristles that is at the front in the direction of advance.

[0032] According to FIG. 2, the height of lateral boundaries 9 of bristle magazine 4 is generally equal to the length of bristles 7 accepted by the magazine, and is for example 30 millimeters or less, and can also be significantly less, for example only 10 millimeters, or even less than this. Thus, even very short bristles, such as are required for toothbrushes, can be magazined and released from their covering 2, and, due to the simplicity of the system, this can take place at a high operating speed.

[0033] From FIG. 2, it can be seen that openings 11 provided in lateral boundaries 9 of the bristle magazine for grasping and seizing element 10 are enclosed on all sides, i.e., are formed as perforations having a circumferential edge, and their vertical dimension is less than the height of boundaries 9, and is less than the length of bristles 7. Thus, bristles 7 are laterally supported even in the area of these openings 11 and are guided in the direction of advance, so that an exiting of the bristles 7 from magazine 4 through these openings 11 is prevented, as is damaging of the bristles 7.

[0034] Here, openings 11 are situated at approximately half the height of boundaries 9, so that the bristles 7 are supported and guided on both sides of these openings 11 over an approximately equal part of their length.

[0035] The respective grasping or seizing instrument 10 are pushed forward pneumatically or hydraulically by a corresponding operating cylinder 12, and can be pulled back again after grasping the part 2 a or 2 b of the covering that is to be removed.

[0036] Here, in the preferred embodiment it is indicated that grasping or seizing instrument 10 can be formed as or include a barbed tip 13, with which covering parts 2 a and 2 b according to FIG. 1 can be grasped. However, a pincer-type gripper, or a suction device operated with a vacuum, or the use of a plurality of barbed tips, are also possible.

[0037] From FIG. 1, it can be seen that bristles 7 can be moved in the direction of advance inside bristle magazine 4 by a slide 15 that can be actuated pneumatically or hydraulically by a further operating cylinder 14, and that slide 15 is charged with bundle 3 enclosed by a covering 2, packaging, tying cord, or the like, and pushes it in the direction of the cutting device. Here it is indicated that slide 15, executes a back-and-forth motion; so that upon the stock of bristles being displaced approximately by the distance of the diameter of a bundle 3 of bristles, the slide 15 can be drawn back so that an additional bundle 3 of bristles can be conveyed into the area of the slide 15 via a laterally situated device and the gap 5 according to FIG. 1, or via a guide tube 6 that is oriented downward from above.

[0038] The bundles 3 of bristles can thus be supplied to the horizontally situated bristle magazine 4 horizontally from the side (FIG. 1) or vertically from above in the area of the slide 15, so that upon the next motion of slide 15 in the direction of advance, such a bundle of bristles is now moved against the cutting device, as described below.

[0039] For rapid operation, it is essential that the width of bristle magazine 4, i.e., the inside width of its two lateral boundaries 9, corresponds approximately to the diameter of the covered or packaged bundle 3 of bristles, so that triangular hollow spaces 16, visible in FIG. 1, remain open before the area of the cutting device, between the bundles 3 of bristles, which are essentially circular in cross-section and are still covered or packaged, and the boundaries 9. The triangle sides of these triangular hollow spaces 16 are generally curved in accordance with the rounding of bundles 3 of bristles.

[0040] This has the advantage that after the cutting open of covering 2 or the like, space is available for a first relaxing of the bundle of bristles, and thus also for a loosening of the two parts 2 a and 2 b of covering 2, and in particular for the entry of grasping or seizing instruments 10, so that parts 2 a and 2 b can be removed laterally through openings 11 without damaging bristles 7 or withdrawing them through these openings 11.

[0041] In addition, this system enables a cutting device, not shown in more detail in the exemplary embodiment, having two movable blades that are oriented obliquely against one another, which blades can be situated on or at lateral boundaries 9, and which can extend into triangular hollow spaces 16 between covered or packaged bundles 3 of bristles during the cutting process. Such movable blades oriented obliquely to one another can thus cut through covering 2 at diagonally opposite points, thus forming the two parts 2 a and 2 b.

[0042] In the preferred embodiment, in contrast, a blade 17 is provided as a cutting device, and is located between lateral boundaries 9 of the bristle magazine 4, and is mounted in a stationary fashion, with its cutting edge 18 directed against the direction of advance of bundles 3 of bristles, so that the advance of bundles 3 of bristles presses covering 2 thereof against blade edge 18, so that it is cut through twice during the advance, as is shown in FIG. 1.

[0043] Thus, with devices 1 that are used in the manufacture of brushes, bundles 3 of bristles enclosed by a covering 2 or the like can first be supplied to a bristle magazine 4 having a stock of bristles, the covering 2 or the like can then be removed, and subsequently the bristles can be supplied to further processing stages, in particular to a take-off device, preferably a bristle apportioning disk 8. Here, the covering 2 or the like is cut through not just on one side, but rather, in the bristle magazine 4, at two points at a distance from one another, in particular opposite one another, so that the two resulting parts 2 a and 2 b can be removed or withdrawn from bristle magazine 4 towards the two sides thereof. This permits an efficient and rapid processing, and saves a separate work station for the removal of the covering 2. The horizontal disposition and direction of advance here facilitates the guiding of even short bristles 7, even in the area of the removal of parts 2 a and 2 b of the cut-open covering 2 towards the sides.

[0044] For the manufacture of brushes, in particular toothbrushes, the bundles 3 of bristles enclosed by a covering 2 or the like are first cut open in the bristle magazine 4, so that covering 2 can be removed. Here, this covering is cut through at two points at a distance from one another, in particular situated opposite one another, and the two resulting parts 2 a and 2 b of covering 2 are removed from the bristle magazine towards two opposite sides. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing brushes, comprising supplying bundles (3) of bristles enclosed by a covering (2), packaging or tying cord to a bristle magazine (4), removing the covering, packaging or tying cord, and subsequently transporting the bristles to a further processing stage, further including, cutting through the covering (2), packaging or tying cord in the bristle magazine (4) at two points at a distance from one another, and removing two resulting parts (2 a, 2 b) of the covering (2), packaging or tying cord from the bristle magazine (4) towards both sides.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising conveying the bundle of bristles (3), with its covering (2), packaging or tying cord, and pressing the bundle against a blade (17) situated centrally between lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine in order to cut through the covering (2) at sides situated generally opposite one another, in a direction of conveying or advance, and the two parts (2 a, 2 b) of the covering (2) inside the bristle magazine (4) are removed or withdrawn laterally from the magazine (4), downstream from a cutting point in the direction of conveying.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the covering (2), packaging or tying cord of the respective bundle (3) of bristles is cut through, at points situated opposite one another, by blades or cutting devices that are movable together obliquely from both sides from lateral boundaries (9), with respective cutting edges facing one another.
 4. The method as recited in one of claims 1, wherein the bristles (7) of the bundles (3) of bristles and surface contours of the covering (2) are oriented approximately vertically during their advance in the magazine (4) and are pushed forward in a direction generally transverse to the bristle orientation, in essentially a horizontal direction.
 5. An apparatus (1) for manufacturing brushes, comprising: a device for supplying bundles (3) of bristles, initially enclosed by a covering (2), packaging or tying cord to a horizontally disposed bristle magazine (4), inside which the bristles (7) which are generally vertically oriented can be supplied and transported in a direction, transverse to the bristle orientation in a direction of advance, a cutting device for cutting open the covering (2), packaging or tying cord, and having a grasping and removing device for the cut-open covering (2), packaging or tying cord, the cutting device being located inside the bristle magazine (4) spaced upstream from a takeoff device in the direction of advance of the bristles (7), to cut twice through the covering (2), packaging or tying cord, at two points situated generally opposite one another, and the grasping and removing device is located in an area of the cutting device, to grasp and transport away the covering (2) upon it being cut into two parts (2 a, 2 b) and includes, at both sides of two lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine (4), at least one gripping instrument (10), and the lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine have an opening (11) in an area of the respective gripping instrument (10), the respective gripping instrument (10) being mounted for movement back and forth through the opening (11) of the respective boundary (9) in order to grasp and withdraw one of the two parts (2 a, 2 b) of the cut-open covering (2).
 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein a height of the lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine (4) is generally equal to a length of the bristles (7) received thereby.
 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the openings (11) provided in the lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine (4) for the gripping instruments (10) are enclosed on all sides, and their vertical dimension is less than a height of the boundaries (9) and less than a length of the bristles (7).
 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the openings (11) in the lateral boundaries (9) of the bristle magazine (4) are located at approximately half a height of the boundaries (9).
 9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the respective gripping instrument (10) can be pushed pneumatically or hydraulically through the opening (11), and can be pulled back again after grasping the part (2 a, 2 b) of the covering (2) or the like that is to be removed.
 10. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the gripping instrument (10) comprises a barbed tip (13) and/or a pincer-type gripper, and/or a suction device operated with a vacuum.
 11. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising a slide (15) that can be actuated pneumatically or hydraulically for movement in the direction of advance to advance the bristles (7) inside the bristle magazine (4), the slide (15) is loaded with bundles (3) enclosed by the covering (2), packaging or tying cord, and moves these bundles in the direction of the cutting device.
 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the bundles (3) of bristles are supplied to the bristle magazine (4) horizontally from the side or vertically from above in an area of the slide (15), the slide being situated in a drawn-back position in order to be loaded.
 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein a width of the bristle magazine (4), or an inside width of the lateral boundaries (9), corresponds approximately to a diameter of the covered or packaged bundles (3) of bristles, and hollow spaces (16) that are approximately triangular in shape remain open before an area of the cutting device, between the covered or packaged bundles of bristles (3), which are generally circular in cross-section, and the boundaries (9).
 14. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the cutting device has two movable blades that are oriented obliquely to one another and are situated on or in the lateral boundaries (9), and which extend into triangular hollow spaces (16) between the covered or packaged bundles (3) of bristles during the cutting process.
 15. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein a blade (17) that is situated approximately centrally, is provided as the cutting device and is located in a stationary fashion between the lateral boundaries or limiting walls (9) of the bristle magazine, with a cutting edge (18) of the blade being directed against the direction of advance of the bundles (3) of bristles. 